Card Carrying Atheists

[ContraCostan]

Hi Everyone,

I began doubting religion and the existance of gods in my late teens. By my early twenties I was firmly in the Atheist camp and never looked back. But it has only been in the last year or so ( I am 50 now) that I have sought out being part of formal organizations. Last year I became a member of American Atheists, and this summer I began attending the monthly meetings of San Francisco Atheists.

The folk wisdom says that organizing Atheists is like herding cats. I was wondering how many of you belong to formal Atheist or Humanist organizations and actually meet with those groups.

And more importantly, why or why not?

[Whitney]

I was going to join an atheist group, but there aren't any in my town.  The closest one is about an hour away and I don't typically have the time to drive that far and stay for a meeting.  When I was searching for a group here I found one that had been started, but seems to have stopped meeting.  When I tried looking at Meetup there was little current interest in creating a group and no one has contacted me about a request with help to start one here.  You'd think a college campus would have some sort of freethought group but the closest I found was philosophy club.

I will be moving next year, so if wherever I move next doesn't have some sort of group set up, I will be starting one then.  If one already exists I'll join it...if for no other reason, they seem like a good way to make new friends.

[MommaSquid]

I was wondering how many of you belong to formal Atheist or Humanist organizations and actually meet with those groups.

And more importantly, why or why not?

I don't belong to any brick-and-mortar atheist or humanist groups.  Why not?  I'm just lazy I guess.  

There's a group called Humanist Phoenix that meets in Scottsdale twice a month.  They meet on Sunday mornings and I'd rather sit around in my nightgown reading the paper on a Sunday morning.  Plus, it's nearly football season and the games start pretty early in this time zone.

I'm sure ASU has meetings for atheists and free-thinkers, but I'm content to converse on internet forums for now.  Thanks for asking.

[ContraCostan]

laetusatheos,

I am fortunate to live in an area that has three different groups that meet regularly. And yes, as you implied, it is just as important to meet for socializing as it is for issues. The San Francisco group meets in a restaurant's banquet room. Its issues and schmoozing, all over a meal.

And on top of all that, its a nice ferry ride for me across San Pablo and San   Francisco Bays.

[ContraCostan]

"I'm sure ASU has meetings for atheists and free-thinkers..."-MommaSquid

I just hope they don't bill themselves as the Sun Devil Atheists :roll:

[imrational]

I belong to a local Atheist Meetup and co-chair a local Freethought group.
I also belong to a couple of atheist message boards (including this one).

I was trying to join an atheist group in Michigan, when I lived there, but had a major personality clash with the leader of the group (and I moved away shortly thereafter).

[Big Mac]

Michigan is were Detroit is.......and they have lakes all around them and I hear that Michies have three eyes, one of them iz brown! OMG LULZ! MASSIVE LULZ!!

THere is a group that meets in Austin at a restraunt that isn't too far away. I thought a good joke would be to dress up as a televangelist and go around saying obviously humorus things like, "Praise baby Jesus! He died for your sins when he was having a mid-life crisis! Now I need 20 dollars from everyone for my Christian duty! PRAISE THA LAWD!" But they might kill me out of pure irritation.

[Tom62]

I was never interested in joining an atheist club, because 1. I didn't know they existed and 2. I didn't give a damn about theists and their religion. The only clubs I'm interested in are clubs where they serve good booze, play good music and have loads of beautiful women.

[Big Mac]

The only clubs I'm interested in are clubs where they serve good booze, play good music and have loads of beautiful women.

NAMBLA?

[MommaSquid]

...But they might kill me out of pure irritation.

I can see how that might happen.    

[ContraCostan]

"I also belong to a couple of atheist message boards (including this one)."-imrational

I'm finding this one appealing because of the number of members and the amount of message traffic. Enough to tbe topical, but not so much that one would get left behind if one could not log on 10 times-a-day. Of course, the site name "HappyAtheist is a lot more attactive than the AngryFrothingAtTheMouthAtheist.

"I was never interested in joining an atheist club, because 1. I didn't know they existed..."-Tom62

Would the existance of such an club or organization be a problem where you are Tom?

[Tom62]

NAMBLA? - BigMac
Never heard of that club, must be something typically American :wink: I think. Are you a member of it   ?

Would the existance of such an club or organization be a problem where you are Tom? - CostraCostan
I think that the german church organisations would raise some concerns, but the average people on the street would probably not give a damn. I estimate that 30-35% of all germans are atheists.